12 Courts will be merged under the guidance of the European Council

28/09/2019 17:47

So far, the judiciary reform has only disturbed judges and prosecutors, and the solemnity of the Constitutional and Supreme Courts. The reform will affect other courts soon. 12 out of 37 courts in the country are going to be merged with each other. The President of CEPEJ (European Commission for Justice in Efficiency at the Council of Europe) expressed the support of internationals in an interview for Top Channel.

“We have drafted very important documents and guidelines and one is related to the map of the judiciary and its access. It is related to some of the key requirements regarding the geography, population and population density in certain areas, and there are also important aspects to be considered by the government, such as transport and access.

In Eastern European countries there have been cases where courts have been merged. We maintain the existing court buildings and only the management changes. This is when one can understand if a particular judge does not have many cases. The issue is not related to a specific jurisdiction but to the judge, ”said Ramin Gurbanov.

Courts with a low workload will be merged, such as the Puka, Burrel, Saranda and Kavaja courts, which will function with commanded judges in a two-year deadline.

“We have a very successful cooperation project in partnership with the Council of Europe and the European Union regarding the efficiency and quality improvement of the Albanian judiciary. The Albanian government has shown strong political will by undertaking such a broad and profound judiciary reform, in order to improve its quality and independence. The High Judicial Council was established in full accordance with all the standards to ensure an independent and accountable court system.

The High Judicial Council plays a very significant role in all countries, especially promoting and protecting human rights, the rule of law and independent and transparent functioning of the judiciary”- said Ramin Gurbanov.

The meeting to consider the new judicial map will be reviewed by the HJC on October 1st, an idea supported by the European Commission.

Top Channel